West Ham United squad’s stance on Julen Lopetegui shared after loss v Tottenham
The West Ham squad haven’t been convinced by Julen Lopetegui so far this season, according to Alex Crook.
Lopetegui has come under early pressure from supporters and pundits alike after the Irons returned from the international break with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday (19 October).
Although talkSPORT journalist Crook insists the win over Ipswich Town at the London Stadium will buy the former Wolves manager some time, he suggests there are already some question marks around his position.
Speaking on the Premier League All Access Podcast (21 October, 39:36) he said: “Well I’m told the players aren’t necessarily convinced by him.
“There’s been one or two issues hasn’t there, there was the incident between him and Mohammed Kudus at Brentford, the bust-up at halftime which was played down a little bit by my sources at West Ham.
“Obviously Kudus has again got a bit hot-headed and got himself sent off, it didn’t change the outcome but it’s not a great look when one of your star players does that.
“I think there are some question marks. That win against Ipswich just before the international break will buy him some time, but we know West Ham fans are not renowned for their patience and they’re already starting to turn.
“There were some members of the hierarchy that weren’t entirely sure about the appointment in the first place so the more results that go against them, the concerns are going to get louder.”
Will West Ham sack Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium?
While it certainly isn’t a surprise that West Ham supporters have been less than convinced by Lopetegui so far, it is worrying that the players don’t also appear to think that highly of the former Real Madrid boss.
Of course, it does take time for a new manager to pass on his methods and beliefs to a new squad, but there has been very little visible progress in the Hammers’ displays between now and the start of the season.
While the Premier League campaign is only eight matches old, there should be signs of improvement by now at the London Stadium. Barring the commanding display against Ipswich, the Hammers have looked worse than they did under David Moyes last term.
That is not to suggest returning to the Scotsman would fix all of the problems in East London. Parting ways with Moyes last season was the right decision, but it does feel like appointing Lopetegui might not have been.
Hopefully, the Hammers boss will manage to find a way to turn things around against Manchester United on Sunday (27 October).
In other West Ham news, Thomas Frank has been backed to exit Brentford to move to the London Stadium
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